(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the automated generation of billing information for long distance telephone calls and more particularly to a system for the transmission of time and charge information from a telephone central office to each of a number of private branch exchanges.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of electronic telephone switching systems, many of the routinely performed manual tasks of operators were automated. One such telephone system is the Traffic Service Position System (TSPS) manufactured by GTE Automatic Electric Company. The TSPS system allows large concentrations of toll telephone circuits at the most convenient location and it permits the operators who service these circuits to be located many miles away.
Historically, when a hotel or motel guest desired to make a toll telephone call, the guest would ring the hotel operator and request long distance. The hotel operator would ring the long distance operator and request time and charge information at the completion of the call. The long distance operator would then complete the guest's call. The hotel operator would monitor the guest's call and at the completion would again ring the toll operator to receive the time and charge information pertaining to the call. The hotel operator would then calculate the appropriate call and add this amount to the guest's bill.
This system dictated that the hotel operator monitor several telephone calls and hand write billing tickets for each completed call. This situation required that the hotel or motel operator take considerable time away from her other duties and be concerned with the billing of long distance telephone calls. Therefore, in an effort to minimize the amount of time required by the hotel operator and automate the billing function, the present remote time and charge system was developed for addition to the TSPS system. The TSPS system facilitated this development since it already possessed the ability to automatically calculate time and charge information. The remote time and charge system provides for the transmission of time and charge information from a TSPS switching center to a data terminal located at the particular hotel or motel which made the call. In order to prevent the loss of such information, duplicate copies of each time and charge record are recorded at the TSPS switching center.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,977 issued on May 10, 1977 to J. Nomura teaches an automatic meter reading system whereby a measurement is made of a resistance value representing a digit shown on a meter.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,862 issued on June 25, 1974 to W. P. Hedges teaches a centralized system for indicating the condition of hotel or motel rooms. This system is embodied via a portable unit carried by hotel personnel from room to room.
Therefore, it is the objective of the present invention to provide an automated system whereby digital information representing time and charge information of toll calls originated by hotel or motel guests is automatically transmitted to each hotel or motel at the completion of the call.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide duplicated recording of such information to prevent loss of billing revenue.
It is of further feature of the present invention to provide the remote billing function within a presently existing electronic telephone switching center.